When the food was laid out before her, Ren Yaoqi realized she was truly hungry. She earnestly ate two bowls of porridge, a steamer basket of dumplings, one and a half spring rolls, and some side dishes.
Just as she began to feel full, Xiao Jingxi returned.
"Had enough?" Xiao Jingxi sat down beside Ren Yaoqi.
Ren Yaoqi nodded, and then Xiao Jingxi took her bowl and chopsticks, picking up the half-eaten spring roll from her plate and finishing it himself.
Sangshen, who was serving nearby, quickly said, "This servant will have the kitchen send more food."
Xiao Jingxi looked up and smiled. "No need. I have to go out again soon. What's on the table is enough for me."
Ren Yaoqi said nothing, dismissing Sangshen and the others. She then ladled a bowl of porridge for Xiao Jingxi and sat watching him eat, occasionally serving him dishes.
Only after Xiao Jingxi set down his chopsticks did Ren Yaoqi call the maids back to clear the table.
After the meal, Xiao Jingxi did not rush to leave immediately. Instead, he helped Ren Yaoqi sit on the southern kang, and the two nestled together in silence, neither speaking.
"How are things outside now?" Ren Yaoqi asked softly, leaning against Xiao Jingxi's chest, breaking the warm quiet of the room.
"Xiao Heng's people have been cleared out, and the troops outside the city have withdrawn. Don't worry, everything is fine now." Xiao Jingxi gently stroked Ren Yaoqi's cool, smooth hair as he spoke.
"Did you send a message to the Hezhong Prince's Mansion?" Xiao Jingxi asked, looking down at her.
Ren Yaoqi paused, then nodded. "I entered your study and looked through your documents. I guessed that the court might be planning something major, so... I don't know if I did the right thing. I’m sorry, I overstepped this time."
Xiao Jingxi lightly tapped Ren Yaoqi's head and chuckled. "Silly talk! Who said you overstepped? I allowed you into my study. Anywhere I can go in the Yanbei Prince's Mansion, you can go too. Besides, this time it was thanks to your quick thinking. If the Hezhong Prince's forces hadn’t carried out large-scale, frequent maneuvers to intimidate those in the south, how many more troops would have surrounded Yunyang City today? Your move was truly brilliant. My subordinates all say I planned everything flawlessly, managing to tie down most of the southern forces without the Hezhong Prince's Mansion actually deploying a single soldier, thus resolving Yanbei’s crisis. I’m too embarrassed to tell them it wasn’t because I’m so capable, but simply because I’m fortunate enough to have married an exceptionally clever wife."
Hearing the teasing in Xiao Jingxi’s words, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but laugh, finally sighing, "We couldn’t ask Grandfather to openly send troops to Yanbei. Even the strategy of 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao' couldn’t be used to avoid criticism. All we could do was rely on intimidation. Thankfully, those in the south have been too long in their comfort zones, and their courage has been eroded."
No matter how close the relationship between the Yanbei Prince's Mansion and the Hezhong Prince's Mansion, it would be inappropriate for the Hezhong Prince's Mansion to send troops to Yanbei—it would invite suspicion. If the Hezhong Prince's Mansion had truly surrounded the capital to relieve Yanbei’s crisis, it would appear to the world as if the Yanbei Prince's Mansion and the Hezhong Prince's Mansion were colluding. The court would then have just cause to act, putting both mansions at a disadvantage in public opinion and potentially giving the Liao people an opportunity to exploit the situation.Therefore, after careful consideration, Ren Yaoqi did not request troops from the Hezhong Prince's Mansion for assistance. Instead, she had the Hezhong Prince's Mansion frequently mobilize its forces. The imperial court, always wary of the Hezhong Prince's Mansion—a tiger lying dormant at its feet, ready to leap up and threaten its life at any moment—did not dare to send all its troops to Yanbei in a desperate gamble.
"How is Ningxia?" Ren Yaoqi asked again.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingxi showed a hint of surprise: "Ningxia? What about Ningxia?"
Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but roll her eyes, glancing at him: "Weren't you in Ningxia during your 'disappearance' to resolve the Zeng family matter?"
Xiao Jingxi couldn't help but laugh, sighing half-seriously: "Yao Yao, if you were a man..."
Hearing Xiao Jingxi stop mid-sentence, Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but ask curiously: "If I were a man, what then?"
Xiao Jingxi pretended to frown, his face full of difficulty: "No, even if you were a man, I'd still have to marry you into the family. It's just that things would be much more complicated..."
Ren Yaoqi blushed and glared at him: "Nonsense." Although she said this, she couldn't deny that she felt pleased deep down.
Xiao Jingxi cupped her face, turning her head toward him, and kissed her cheek, smiling: "I mean it. It's fortunate you're a woman; otherwise, the world would call me absurd."
Ren Yaoqi pressed the back of her hand to her cheek, feeling uneasy: "What exactly is the situation with the Zeng family now?"
Seeing her shyness, Xiao Jingxi stopped teasing her and continued holding her: "The Zeng family... Zeng Pu colluded with the Liao people to ambush the second son of the Yanbei Prince's Mansion. The evidence is conclusive, so he likely won't remain as the regional commander."
Ren Yaoqi frowned: "Was the attack on you in Wuzhou really related to the Zeng family?"
Hearing this, Xiao Jingxi smiled indifferently: "Whether it's related or not doesn't matter. What is true is that the Zeng family tried to seize power amid the chaos, but they didn't succeed. After this incident, the Di family's influence in Ningxia has grown significantly, and they will soon replace the Wu family. With the northwest stabilized, Yanbei's rear will also be secure."
Although Xiao Jingxi spoke lightly, Ren Yaoqi knew the situation couldn't have been that simple. Though Ningxia isn't large, the forces there are complex. Xiao Jingxi must have weighed the situation carefully before taking action against the Zeng family and supporting the Di family's rise.
"Where are Zeng Pu and his son now?"
The Zeng family remained a thorn in Ren Yaoqi's heart. She understood better than anyone that when dealing with people like Zeng Pu and Zeng Kui, one must either avoid conflict altogether or strike decisively to eliminate them completely; otherwise, endless trouble would follow. So, even though she heard the Zeng father and son had lost power in Ningxia, Ren Yaoqi remained vigilant.
Clearly, Xiao Jingxi, who had clashed with the Zeng family multiple times, understood this as well. He reassured Ren Yaoqi with a smile: "This time, I removed most of the Zeng family's allies. The rest, I left to the Di family to handle. After all, it's a Ningxia matter, and I can't openly intervene. But don't worry—the Zeng father and son are like grasshoppers after autumn; they won't last much longer."
Seeing Xiao Jingxi speak with such certainty, Ren Yaoqi felt more at ease: "What about Lady Wu?"Ren Yaoqi remembered that Xiao Wei had also gathered some forces that remained loyal to the Wu family. However, these forces had largely dissipated after the posthumous child of Wu Xiaohe was born. This woman was not particularly clever, yet her ambitions were considerable. Given the Xiao family's firm control over Ningxia, it would be difficult for her to stir up trouble there again.
Although the Prince of Yanbei did not harbor much sibling affection for Xiao Wei, he still maintained a sense of familial duty. Ren Yaoqi had previously heard from the Princess Consort that the Prince intended to bring Xiao Wei and Wu Yiyu back to the Yanbei Prince's Mansion to accompany the Old Princess Consort, a matter the Old Princess Consort had mentioned many times. However, now that the Old Princess Consort had died at the hands of Xiao Heng, if Xiao Wei and her daughter returned, the Yanbei Prince's Mansion would likely face unrest.
Personally, Ren Yaoqi did not want Xiao Wei and Wu Yiyu to return. This mother-daughter pair was too troublesome and had ill intentions.
Xiao Jingxi seemed to understand Ren Yaoqi's thoughts and said with a smile, "Madam Wu's son is in Ningxia, so she naturally cannot stay too far away. Although Young Master Wu is still young, he bears significant responsibilities. How could he be without an elder to look after him?"
Ren Yaoqi was taken aback for a moment before recalling that the son Xiao Jingxi referred to was the posthumous child born to Wu Xiaohe's concubine, Di Shi. She couldn't help but laugh and looked at the sly-faced man beside her, saying, "You handed Madam Wu over to the Di family? Aren't you wicked!"
Xiao Jingxi pinched Ren Yaoqi's cheek, displeased. "My dear, you mustn't speak carelessly. Your husband is highly talented, upright in character and appearance, and a rare match you could only hope to find. Where is the wickedness in that?"
Ren Yaoqi: "..."
"Everyone has their place. If they stand in the wrong position, chaos will ensue. Since Madam Wu has married into the Wu family, she is a member of the Wu family. A woman follows her husband in marriage, and after his death, she follows her son. These are the rules she should abide by. As for Wu Yiyu, she is still the young mistress of the Zeng family. When the day comes that both Zeng father and son are gone, the place she should return to is her natal family, not her maternal uncle's family." Wu Yiyu's natal family, of course, would be with her younger brother, Young Master Wu.
Xiao Jingxi's tone was calm but resolute as he spoke these words.
Someone like Xiao Jingxi naturally understood that not just any stray cat or dog could be brought into their own backyard. The Prince of Yanbei cared for sibling ties, but Xiao Jingxi had no need to consider such sentiments. His heart was harder than the Prince's. Yet, Xiao Jingxi's harshness brought peace to those close to him.
As the couple was speaking, Pingguo entered to report that the Princess Consort had sent for Xiao Jingxi.
Xiao Jingxi said to Ren Yaoqi, "Mother likely wishes to discuss the Old Princess Consort's funeral arrangements. I will go to Jiuyang Hall."
The Old Princess Consort's body had already been returned to the Yanbei Prince's Mansion, and the Princess Consort had ordered the construction of a mourning hall. The Princess Consort instructed Ren Yaoqi to stay in Zhaoning Hall and not go out, as the Old Princess Consort had not died of natural causes. She feared it might bring ill fortune to the child in Ren Yaoqi's womb, though such words were never spoken openly. To the outside world, it was simply said that Ren Yaoqi had been frightened.
Ren Yaoqi stood up to see Xiao Jingxi off.
"Is Jinglin also returning soon?"
Originally, Xiao Jinglin would not have returned so quickly, but with the Old Princess Consort's death, as a granddaughter, she had to return for the funeral.
Xiao Jingxi nodded. "A letter has been sent. Jinglin will return in the next few days. You should go back inside. The wind is strong today, so don't go out."Upon hearing this, Ren Yaoqi did not insist on seeing him out. After Xiao Jingxi left, she turned and went back inside. Having slept earlier, she was still quite alert and thought of finding a light read in the study to pass the time while waiting for Xiao Jingxi’s return. As she approached the study, she overheard two young maids tidying up whispering to each other.
"...The Princess Consort has sent Doctor Zhang, Doctor Li, and Doctor Gu to the Yun Family, but the injuries are too severe. It’s uncertain whether they can save him."
"He must be saved, or else Yanbei will lose Second Young Master Yun, a fierce warrior."
The missed updates for this month will be made up by the end of the month.
After much deliberation and hesitation, the author aims to conclude the story by the end of this month. o(∩_∩)o.
OpenNovel